Elections Canada said Tuesday voter turnout during the four-day advance polling period was 29 per cent higher than in the last federal election.
According to Elections Canada, an estimated 4.7 million electors voted in the advance polls across Canada from Oct. 11-14. In 2015, 3,657,415 electors voted in advance of the general election.
“More and more, Canadians are taking advantage of early voting opportunities to cast their ballots,” Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault said in a statement.
“Having extended voting hours at advance polls gave Canadians more flexibility to use this option.”
This year’s total does not include ballots cast at on-campus polling stations or those cast outside the advance poll period at local Elections Canada returning offices.
An estimated 111,300 electors voted at stations on college and university campuses last week versus the 70,000 who did so in 2015.
There were more advance polling locations on offer this time. In 2015, there were 4,946 polling stations, compared with the 6,135 that were open from Oct. 11 to Oct.14, 2019. In both elections, voters had four days to go to the advance polls. However, people had more time to vote this year, as polls were open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. as opposed to noon to 8 p.m., in the last general election.
An estimated 1.2 million voters cast a ballot on Friday, 977,000 on Saturday, 915,000 on Sunday and about 1.6 million exercised their franchise on Thanksgiving Monday.
All numbers are estimates as not all polls may have reported yet. Perrault says electors in Manitoba may have been unable to go to advance polls due to the snowstorm. The state of emergency was declared in the province following the storm.
“We will add resources at the local level and be prepared to adjust our services for Monday, October 21, as required. Our top priority is to ensure that electors in Manitoba are able to cast their ballot,” Perrault said.
Canadians 18 years and over who have not yet voted can vote on general election day this Monday.
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